[Vote] The Ghost Orchid - Detective Game

📕Story Background

Blackthorn Conservatory, a Victorian glasshouse in the heart of London, was preparing to display a rare orchid known as the Queen’s Ghost.

The flower had not bloomed for nearly forty years. Its return attracted wealthy collectors, botanists, journalists, and government officials.

The conservatory’s director, Dr. Evelyn Hart, announced that she had discovered a hidden record proving the orchid’s original specimen had been smuggled out of a protected rainforest. The famous explorer credited with finding it may have forged his entire collection.

At 10:45 PM, Evelyn was found dead inside the climate-controlled Orchid House. The steel door had locked automatically, the glass panels were sealed, and the emergency release had not been used.

A single white orchid was missing from the display. Evelyn was holding a cracked glass vial marked B-17.

The climate-control system had completed an unusual misting cycle earlier that evening. The room smelled faintly of wet soil and bitter leaves.

On Evelyn’s desk, one sentence remained unfinished:

“The specimen was not lost at sea. It was…”

No one admitted entering the Orchid House. Yet someone had used the conservatory itself as a weapon.

Suspects

Julian Black

“I was greeting donors in the main gallery. Evelyn’s announcement could have damaged the conservatory’s reputation, but I never entered the Orchid House.”

Julian was the conservatory’s chairman and largest private donor. His new expansion project depended on wealthy collectors.

Dr. Mara Quinn

“I was in the seed bank checking the winter samples. Evelyn and I disagreed about the orchid’s history, but I would never harm her.”

Mara was the head botanist and had led the Queen’s Ghost restoration project.

Felix Rowan

“I was repairing the boiler and irrigation pipes. The misting system runs automatically, so I had no reason to enter the Orchid House.”

Felix was the groundskeeper. He maintained the conservatory’s climate-control system and knew every service passage.

Lydia Vale

“I was in the archive researching my ancestor’s expedition. Evelyn promised to show me the original records, but I never went near the orchid.”

Lydia was a historian and the descendant of the explorer whose reputation was about to be destroyed.

🔍Known Clues

1.The Orchid House was electronically locked, Evelyn was the last person recorded entering, and the emergency release had not been used.

2.The misting system activated at 10:31 through a maintenance override, although the control panel displayed the cycle as an automatic event scheduled for 11:00.

3.A small amount of concentrated plant extract was found inside the cracked vial marked B-17.

4.The label for the Queen’s Ghost orchid was missing, but the plant itself showed no signs of being removed.

5.Black soil was found beneath Evelyn’s fingernails, although the Orchid House used white gravel. The same black soil was used only in the seed bank.

6.A torn strip of green waterproof fabric was caught in the misting valve.

7.The conservatory clock was fourteen minutes slow, while Evelyn’s wristwatch had stopped at 10:37.

8.A page was missing from the expedition archive. Lydia’s notes contained the same unfinished phrase found on Evelyn’s desk.

🕵️Questions and Discussions for YOU

1.Who is the killer? Deduce based on the available clues.

2.How was the plant toxin delivered?

🎉Participation Rewards

The FIRST user to successfully deduce the identity of the "culprit" and their motive in the comment, will receive a reward of 2,000 GT points! Other participants will earn 200-500 GT points based on the completeness of their submissions. 💰(Except for extended special edition)

📅Submission Deadline

November 13, 2026

Reminder: This is the submission deadline if you want to claim the reward with your vote, but after this date the vote will still remain open for a period of time, so please feel free to participate at any time if you want to test your skills, detectives!

----- Previous answer (The Last Shot at Red Mesa) -----

Culprit: Boone Carter

Motive: Boone forged the water-rights deed to control Red Mesa’s water supply. Sheriff Flint discovered the forgery and planned to expose him.

Deduction Logic – The Staged Locked Room

The sheriff’s revolver was untouched, while the bullet came from a smaller weapon—most likely Boone’s concealed derringer.

The red wax seal links Boone directly to the forged deed. The black leather in the door bolt bears spur marks, matching a rancher’s riding gear. The pale clay came from the northern valley, where Boone’s ranch was located.

The window was never opened. Boone planted dust inside it to suggest an escape route, then walked backward over his own footprints so no second trail appeared.

He used the leather strip to pull the interior bolt into place after leaving, creating the illusion that the door had been locked from inside. The false telegraph entry and conflicting times were used to confuse the timeline.

Crime Reconstruction

Boone confronted Elias, shot him with a small-caliber derringer, and removed the missing deed page. He planted the red dust, staged the telegraph record, and left through the door.

Using a strip of leather, he pulled the bolt shut from outside, then retraced his own footprints. The red wax, spur marks, and northern clay were the evidence he failed to remove.

Conclusion

Boone’s forged deed, ranch seal, derringer, leather gear, and staged footprints prove that he murdered Elias to protect his control of Red Mesa’s water supply.

We will be rewarding 200 GT points to all players who voted correctly, and additional points to some outstanding responses.

Congratulations and enjoy your juicy GT points reward!!!